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Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton has certainly made his presence felt.
Caleb Lohner entered the NFL as one of the Broncos’ most intriguing long-term projects, and now the former basketball standout is beginning to generate real buzz inside the organization.
The Denver Broncos selected Lohner in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft despite his extremely limited football experience.
After spending his entire rookie season on the practice squad, the 6-foot-7 tight end is entering a pivotal second year with the franchise.
While Lohner remains largely unproven, head coach Sean Payton offered some of his strongest praise yet for the developmental prospect at OTAs.
“Lohner looks entirely different in this camp,” Payton said during rookie minicamp. “Everything. In fairness to him, remember [he] was a basketball prospect that had limited snaps of a year. So one year into the program, and how he’s moving, what he’s doing, everything looks entirely different.”
Sean Payton out of nowhere today after rookie minicamp: “I’ll tell you who stood out — Caleb (Lohner).”
Usually doesn’t single guys out unprompted, but here’s two mins of Payton raving on #Broncos second-year TE Lohner.
“He’s in great shape. You see his athleticism.”
Those comments have only added to the growing intrigue surrounding one of the Broncos’ biggest offseason wild cards.
Payton’s praise for Lohner went beyond simply acknowledging improvement.
The Broncos coach highlighted the steep learning curve Lohner faced after transitioning from basketball to football and noted that his development has been obvious throughout the offseason program.
“You see his athleticism,” Payton said. “He’s 6’7″, 265 pounds and he’s not afraid of the contact.”
Payton also pointed to Lohner’s physicality as one of the most encouraging traits in his game. The coach revealed that Lohner even spent time mimicking pass rushers during scout-team work last season, helping prepare Denver’s offensive line while continuing to develop his own football instincts.
Later in his media session, Payton doubled down on his excitement about the young tight end.
“You guys will see him this June,” Payton said. “Yes, he has been impressive.”
For a player who spent last season entirely on the practice squad, those comments represent a significant vote of confidence from one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds.
The challenge for Lohner now will be translating offseason praise into meaningful production once training camp begins.
Denver’s tight end room has become increasingly competitive. Veteran Evan Engram returns for his second season with the Broncos, while Adam Trautman re-signed this offseason. The Broncos also added rookie tight ends Justin Joly and Dallen Bentley in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That leaves limited roster spots available.
Still, Lohner possesses a unique athletic profile that few players in the room can match. He ran a 4.69-second 40-yard dash at nearly 250 pounds and recorded a 37-inch vertical jump. His basketball background also gives him intriguing upside as a potential red-zone target.
The Broncos are still searching for greater offensive production from the tight end position, and Lohner’s combination of size, athleticism and developmental upside could make him one of the most closely watched players throughout OTAs, minicamp and training camp.
If Payton’s glowing assessment proves accurate, Lohner may be positioned to become one of Denver’s most surprising breakout candidates heading into the 2026 season.
Dylan Tracy-Lindenbaum Dylan Tracy-Lindenbaum is a Content Programming Assistant with the NFL and college football, NFL and MLB reporter for Heavy Sports. He has also worked with FOX Sports, the Big Ten Network, and RotoWire. More about Dylan Tracy-Lindenbaum
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